The couple, married since 2009, claim that the facility violated the Fair Housing Act and the Missouri Human Rights Act when it rejected their application for housing…

The refusal was based on the fact that Friendship Village’s "cohabitation policy" …defines marriage as "the union of one man and one woman, as marriage is understood in the Bible." …

The couple’s lawsuit not only asks the court to force Friendship Village to change its cohabitation policy but also asks the court for a permanent injunction that would allow the couple to move into Friendship Village, where several of their other friends reside..

Response: This lawsuit has real implications for faith-based non-profit facilities and for freedom of religion.

Since the Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage legal does it now trump the religious liberty of faith-based groups to maintain their own beliefs and policies based upon the Bible?

If this couple gets their way then it could become illegal for this Christian facility and other faith-based organizations and housing facilities in particular to maintain marriage policies based upon the Bible. The First Amendment should apply but when it comes to the federal judges who view this case all bets are off. *Top

The problem here is the slippery slope. You start by laying a foundation that a “non-denominational” Christian community must bow to the wishes of the secular world. Then, you raise the foundation higher by making these precedents apply to Christian charities. Next, your legal precedents can now provide guidance for a hiring decision in a Christian school. Finally, the church itself will be attacked.

Canada is already 20 years further down this road than we are – but we are catching up!